Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-12-14
URUGUAY'S CAPITAL.
The Pleasant Side of Life as Seen in
MOntevideo.

MonteviCeo, the capital of Uruguay
and its chief city, Is as favorably To-
Gated rs any place in the world. On a
narrow tongue of limestone rock like
the back of whale. it stretches out
from the coast, with the Atlantic ocean
on one side and the Rio de la Plata on
the other. The streets are like a Sc
ries OF terraces, not only giving the
most perfect natural drainage, but
furnishing nearly every residence with
vista of the river or the sea.
When it isn't June in Uruguay il is
October-seldom too hot, and never
too cold. During the summer season
the people of Buenos Ayres come over
for the sea bathing, and the city is very
gay. A prevalent taste which inspires
the owners of these villas to paint
them IN gay colors-red, pink. purple,
green and orange-ls being somewhat
modified by foreign travel, and of late
years the quintas as well as the city
houses are taking on more somber
hues. There are more beautiful and
costly residences and business blocks
in Montevideo than in any other South
American city except Santiago, the
capital of Chilli. Considerable carved
marble is used, but the standard build
ing material is sun dried brick, and
the walls are usually from two to three
feet In thickness, fireproof, and Impen-
etrable to heat and dampness.
The Church of the Mother, the
cathedral of Uruguay, is the largest
and finest building in the country.
There are three theatres; an Italian
opera subsidized by the government;
a bull ring which is crowded every
SnndlV a
age of the president and the aristoc-
racy; a number of clubs; a public IL
brary with 10000 volumes, mostly
Spanish historical and political works;
a museum; a university which is the
summit of a free school system, and all
the etcaeteras of modern civilization.
The ladies dress in the height of the
Paris fashion, the shops contain every
thing that can tempt the taste of an
extravagant people; there are dinner
parties and balls, and time IS i'm
proved or wasted as it is in Paris or
Madrid. The gentlemen 90 to their
counting rooms al in the morning,
when their wives and daughters go to
mass. AT IL they return to their
homes for a breakfast of seven or eight
courses, then take siesta, 60 back to
their business about 3, work until 6,
and dine with great formality at Z.
The ladies OF Uruguay are famous for
their beauty and fine compleXions-the
blessing of the atmosphere; but after
30 they lose their symmetry of form,
which is doubtless owing to their indo-
lence.
Street cars run everywhere, and pay
big dividends, for no Spanish-Ameri-
can ever walks when he can ride.
Even the beggars are literally on
horseback. ard the stranger is often
startled by a ragged and dirty crea-
ture gallopIng up to him and asking, IN
a piteous voice, For the love of Jesus,
gentleman, give me farthing to buy
bread" The national drink, for which
he VIII undoubtedly spend this, Is
called cana, and is made from the fer
mented juice of the sugar cane. 1t
contains 80 per cent. of alcohol, and is
sold at two cents a goblet, so that
spree is within the reach of the poorest
man. All goods are delivered from
the shops by horsemen, for there is not
cart in town. When you hire a car
rage, for which you are expected to
pay 81 an hour, a peon, called a
''chancadero." runs along beside it
the entire distance, no matter how
great, SO that he may get a fee for
opening the door when you reach
your destination. He is actually a
footman, and is never allowed to ride
beside the driver, who Is of better
caste and regards himself as superior
being. No hackman will ever get off
his box, and if you refuse a medic
(six centsl to the ''chancadero" you
are a miserable sponge.
The city is lighted by electricity,
and more than 800 telephones were in
use In 1885. Gambling is the national
vice, and men, women and child
rem selling lottery tickets are as thick
as newsboys in the cities of the States.
The porter at the hotel informs you
that he is supplied with tickets for all
the drawings; the clerk at the store
where you trade invites you to invest
the change he hands you in his favor
Ite lottery, and tells you that lady
who bought ticket of him drew
prize of $40, 900 last month.
One of the curious customs Is the
manufacture of butter. The dairy
man pours the milk warm from the
COW into an inflated pig or goat skin.
bitches it to his saddle by a long lasso
and gallops five or six miles into town
with the milk sack pounding along on
the road behind him. When he reaches
the city his churning is over. the but
ter is made, and he peddles it from
door to door, dipping out the quantity
desired by each family with a long
wooden spoon.
The city OF Montevideo has popu-
lation of about 125,O00 souls and
twentY-three daily newspapers.